Exclusive: Interview with Eleanor Kingston

Eleanor Kingston aims to breathe a new life into the music scene. The 17-year-old artist is wise beyond her years and as a songwriter, she definitely knows what she is trying to achieve. Her style draws from that of Lana Del Rey, NF, and Halsey. Lana Del Rey’s mysterious and dark concepts written through beautiful analogies inspire Eleanor’s tendency to “show rather than just tell”.

Her visually contemplative lyrics allows one to reflect on their situations and find something good during their times of struggle. Eleanor experiments with sound as she merges various genres. She fuses indie-rock’s strong electric guitar, drums, and bass with indie-pop’s melodic instrumentation.

In an interview with CelebMix, Eleanor Kingston talks about her journey and her new single “Highway”. Check out the complete interview below:

1. Hi, Eleanor! Can you please tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Well first off, it’s nice to meet you guys! I’m Eleanor Kingston, 17 years old, and originally from Park City, Utah. I mean obviously I can’t really begin to describe who I am as a person without mentioning music first and foremost; If you ever meet me I will most likely be 1.) listening to music, 2.) singing, or 3.) humming in my head. With that said, I would also like to think I’m a fairly witty person, I love traveling (I can’t wait to tour!), and I also dabble with acting in my spare time (essentially my heart is just with the entertainment industry in general.)

2. We would like to know about your musical journey. That is, how did the journey begin and how has it been so far?

I have been writing songs since I was about twelve years old. I would say that’s where it all started for me really. I just remember so vividly that whenever my parents would fight, or I felt like I was doing something wrong, my gut instinct was to pick up my old song book and just start writing for hours. Though, my main focus at that time was actually acting. It wasn’t until I grew as an artist both vocally and lyrically that I realized music was what I needed to do for the rest of my life. It got to a point where music helped me get through the darkest times I had ever experienced and I knew then that I have a voice to share with the rest of the world. Last January I switched gears from acting to music and I honestly haven’t looked back since.

I reached out to various producers in Los Angeles and started working with, in my opinion, some of the most talented people in this industry. I got incredibly lucky with all of the musicians, engineers, and producers that I have worked with. I really could not have expected a better reaction to our previous releases; I mean I honestly didn’t know what to expect. But, I will say, when people reach out and tell me how much my music helps them, it is the best part of the journey hands down. There is just nothing better than watching a video of someone jamming out to ‘Highway’ with their friends. In that moment, I know I am doing what I have to do no matter how tough the journey gets. So yeah, I love it!

3. Do you any musical influences?

I really believe in paying homage to past influences and in that respect, I grew up listening to Michael Jackson, Carole King, and Mary J Blige who obviously have all paved the way for artists and genres nowadays in their own respects. With regards to those contemporary artists, Lana Del Rey, Halsey, and Lorde definitely inspire me the most.

4. Would you like to tell us about your approach (musically) towards your songs? We have read that you tend to merge different genres, the glimpse of which is seen in “Highway” too. So, we would like to know more.

My approach to the music I have made since January has honestly been so different for each individual record. For ‘Demon Mind’, I had the entire song ready to go lyrically. I honestly had so many ideas in my head for what I wanted it to sound like musically that I didn’t truly know at all what I wanted it to sound like… if that makes any sense at all. I knew that the lyrics belonged on a pop track but I also wanted it to be a different type of record than most pop songs nowadays. So, with that, I told the engineer to add as many pop synths as possible to the initial beat. Then, we took that beat to three extremely talented musicians, Tim Pierce, Matt Laug, and Jeff Babko to add the elements of alternative rock over the synths and bass. Our team found a way to place one genre on top of the other without fusing the fundamental pieces and with that, the listener can clearly distinguish between the two genres.

‘Highway’ was a completely different story. I was sent the demo beat from a phenomenal producer named Matt Anthony who works at Paramount Recording Studios. At that point, I felt a lot more comfortable with making suggestions and finding ways to tweak the musical elements to fit my personal style. We took a different approach in that song and tried to focus on it’s alternative pop elements. You’ll notice that the record fuses more melodic rhythms in the verse with a faster bass in the chorus. The song centers around spontaneity as seen in the bridge which definitely throws some people off at first.

5. Lyrically, your songs tend to be contemplative. What kind of messages would you wish to convey through your work?

This is honestly my favorite topic to discuss in interviews and I love that you said ‘contemplative’ because honestly that’s what I strive for. Being genuine, raw, and vulnerable is just really important to me as an artist. If I ever start to make music for the sake of creating something that sounds “good”, I personally believe I have failed as a songwriter. But, of course to make a hit song, the catchy elements must be present lyrically; I am excited to continue to find the balance between that and a more singer-songwriter approach.

All of my released music has a common theme of finding the beauty within a destructive situation: sort of like craving something even when you know it’s bad for you. I wanted to comment on problematic events that I have been through but, instead of sulking about them in a ballad, recognizing that even bad situations can bring certain elements of happiness. Going forward, I am excited to explore all types of topics from mental illness to just partying and having a good time as teenagers. But, I hope to do it in a way that juxtaposes every high and low emotion each situation brings.

6. Please tell us about your new song “Highway”.

The song is a commentary on modern day relationships and the innate flaws surrounding them. Similar to what I was explaining before, I wrote about the craving for the pain that the relationships can bring you. I wrote these lyrics because I couldn’t articulate in any of my conversations what I was feeling at the time about the relationship I was in, so I had to sing it. I hope it provides comfort to other people who are genuinely conflicted about how to deal with relationships these days.

7. Will your audience get a chance to see the music video for the single?

I have gotten so close to filming it multiple times but it just never ended up being the right time. I am definitely going to make it a priority in the coming months though. I like to be super hands on with my music and I don’t want that to be any different so I hope to self direct and edit it as well.

8. Would you like to share with us your future projects or endeavours?

Absolutely! I am extremely excited to announce that my next single, ‘Problematic’ will be released on all digital platforms October 26th. This song has been in the works since the release of ‘Highway’ and it definitely has a similar vibe. I’m also planning some live shows in Southern California that will come up soon as well as my debut EP! The next year is going to be eventful and I’m so excited to share it all.

Hi! I am Ayushi from India. The only thing that is consistent about me is my passion for writing and reading. Weaving words to form a story is the best thing I know and the only thing I want to do.
"Writer by nature is a dreamer, a conscious dreamer."
-Carson McCullers

If you want, you can follow me on Twitter using the handle @ayushidelhi1996